Hypothermia has been shown to provide distinct medical benefits to stroke and cardiac arrest patients by limiting the size of the infarction and related tissue injury if initiated soon enough and if the level of cooling is significant enough. Both of these limitations, initiation of and depth of cooling, have made practical application of the technology quite challenging particularly in an ambulance or other emergency settings in the field. Initiation of cooling, for example, is a major issue since most technologies require sophisticated machinery that would be difficult to place in ambulance so the patient, at best, receives the hypothermic benefit some time after they reach the hospital. Of the technologies that can be initiated in the field, though, such as cooling blankets, cooling caps, etc., the depth of cooling is a major issue due to surface area limitations, complications (such as intense shivering response) and patient access issues (once the blanket is on, it may be difficult to access the patient).
Infusion of a hypothermic fluid into a patient, such as into a patient cavity such as the peritoneal cavity, adds additional challenges. The infusion of a large volume of fluid into the patient cavity can increase pressure inside the cavity. High pressures inside the peritoneal cavity can cause problems for the patient, putting the patient's health and well being at risk. Obtaining an accurate measurement of the pressure within the patient can be very difficult in hypothermia applications but is necessary to insure the safety of the patient. Access to the cavity, changing volumes of fluid in the cavity, patient movement, and organs within the cavity all provide challenges for accurate pressure measurement within the patient.
Thus, there exists a need for improved devices for rapidly producing hypothermia to treat stroke, severe cardiac events and related conditions, particularly in the ability to accurately and easily measure pressure within the patient.